


Another Day in Paradise

by phlebotinxm



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: A+ Parenting, Coda, Dancing and Singing, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Leo Fitz Feels, Leo Fitz is a good Dad, Lullabies, Missing Scene, Season/Series 07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:47:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27906220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phlebotinxm/pseuds/phlebotinxm
Summary: Before Alya was born, Fitz hadn’t realized just how tiny babies could be.But as he looked down at his two days old daughter, Fitz realized that she was probably the tiniest, most fragile thing he’d ever seen. But, as he traced the small edge of her clenched fist, she was probably the most precious thing he’d ever seen, too.Or Fitz gets some alone time with Alya for the very first time.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 18
Kudos: 52





	Another Day in Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!  
> I'm back with yet another fluffy fic, because why not?
> 
> This is an idea that came to me right after seeing the finale back in August, as I was listening to the song "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins. it took me some time to come around and write it, but I couldn't help myself!
> 
> This work is unbeta'd, and English isn't my first language. I apologize in advance for the eventual grammar mistakes. I also wrote most of this on my phone in one go, so I hope it's not too bad.
> 
> Please don't hesitate to let me know what you thought about this! xx

Before Alya was born, Fitz hadn’t realized just how  _ tiny _ babies could be. 

To be fair, he hadn’t paid much attention to them before, either. He remembered a time when he was a kid and watched with fascination as children cried and wriggled in their stroller, holding his mum’s hand as they walked the streets of Glasgow. Even back then, he didn’t remember paying much attention to their size, much more annoyed by their uninterrupted cries. 

But as he looked down at his two days old daughter, Fitz realized that she was probably the tiniest, most fragile thing he’d ever seen. But, as he traced the small edge of her clenched fist, she was probably the most precious thing he’d ever seen, too. Sparing a quick glance at Jemma, still sleeping soundly in their makeshift bed, Fitz hugged Alya tight to his chest as he got up. 

Watching Jemma give birth to their baby daughter had been an incredibly scary, painful but unforgettable experience for the both of them. Enoch had been there for them both, but ultimately it had been the two of them, together. Jemma had been into labour for 15 hours, 15 long and excruciating hours during which Fitz had felt like he couldn’t do a single thing to help his wife. He’d watched as her face contorted with pain, her eyes welled up with tears and she gritted her teeth with each contraction until she finally pushed their little girl into the world. 

Fitz had thought about how irresponsible they both were during those long 15 hours, as he watched Jemma doze off in between contractions. He’d thought about how Jemma deserved an hospital, some medication for the pain and so, so much better than a spaceship that would soon feel too small with a newborn baby. Yet there they were, and there was their baby girl born. 

As quickly as he could, Fitz grabbed a bottle of milk Jemma had prepared before falling asleep and walked up the stairs of the Zephyr, heading straight into the cockpit. Alya was only born two days ago, but he’d already started noticing a pattern in her sleep schedule. He was certain Jemma did, too, but she was still exhausted from the birth and he didn’t want her to wake up tonight. After all, he had yet to get some alone time with his daughter, and she was meant to wake up in the next five minutes or so, according to his calculations. Judging by the way her little mouth opened in a displeased frown, he was right on time. 

“Well, hello there,” Fitz whispered, unable to hold back the grin splitting his face in two. He’d thought he could never love anyone in the world more than he loved Jemma, his love for her bright and burning for years, making his heart ache in his chest whenever he looked at her. Staring at Jemma was like staring at the sun, bright and burning but oh so beautiful. But then came Alya, and it suddenly felt like a piece of his heart that had been there from the start was revealed to him. Fitz had crossed the universe for Jemma, travelled through time and space, however he knew it only paled in comparison to what he could do for his daughter. 

“It’s your daddy,” he whispered again as Aly’s eyes fluttered open. He logically knew that Alya didn’t see faces yet, only colors and shapes, but Fitz didn’t care. At the moment, it felt like his daughter was looking straight at him. “It’s just you and me tonight, baby girl.” 

Alya’s mouth twisted in displeasure, and she let out a small cry. 

“I know, I know,” Fitz soothed, rubbing the tip of the baby bottle against her rosy lips. Alya caught it almost immediately, suckling on it eagerly with fluttering eyelids, and Fitz couldn’t take his eyes away for a moment. It had been two days —49 hours and 17 minutes to be exact— since his daughter had been born, yet it all felt like a fever dream more often than not. As he looked down at Alya, Fitz could see so much of Jemma in her. She had her plump and rosy lips, the same exact frown and her nose, too. Yet the rest was all him. If he’d had to choose, Fitz would have rather liked Alya to be a carbon copy of her mother. Yet, she was absolutely perfect. 

“You know, you were a big surprise for your mama and I.” he whispered, his thumb rubbing against the side of Alya’s face. Her tiny fist closed around his pinkie, and Fitz felt his heart soar. “You weren’t exactly planned, and you surprised the both of us when we realized you were there with us, and had been for a few weeks. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though. I’ve always felt like my love for your mama was too big to be contained, too big for people not to realize how huge it was. And that’s how you came to be.”

If Jemma were there, Fitz knew she’d probably roll her eyes at him, reminding him that basic biology and her IUD malfunctioning had nothing to do with their love for one another. But Fitz still believed in the cosmos, and when he’d probably never tell Jemma —or not yet anyway—, he was pretty sure it was the universe’s way of apologizing for all they’d been through. 

“Your mama is more pragmatic than me,” he admitted in a staged whisper, his smile growing even bigger when Alya squeezed his pinkie as if she was agreeing with him. “But you know, even though you  _ were _ a big surprise, you are the best thing we’ve ever created.” 

Alya made a small noise around her bottle, eyelids fluttering open before closing again. Fitz kept staring, mesmerized, and he idly wondered if he’d ever be tired of watching her. The small weight of her warm body in his arm felt like it belonged there, and Fitz didn’t know if his heart could grow any bigger than at this very moment. 

“You know, between you and me? I have no idea what I’m doing.” His thumb kept rubbing her little cheek, marveling in the softness of her skin. “But I’m doing my best, and I promise I will never stop doing my best with you.” 

Fitz thought about all those moments he’d spent overthinking in the last few months, tossing and turning in bed until he could quiet down with a hand against the swell of Jemma’s belly. More often than not, as Jemma slept soundly, he relished in the kicks Alya gave under the skin, talking with her for hours sometimes. She didn’t have a face or a name yet, but he already loved her more than words could explain. 

“I didn’t have a father growing up,” he explained, “but I already know I could never leave without looking back. I swear I’ll never leave you, ever. You’re probably gonna get tired of me, at some point. I can already imagine your tired little voice, just like your mama’s. I hope you won’t roll your eyes at me like her, though. But that’s what I get for being surrounded by smart women, right?” 

As he looked up at the stars in front of him, Fitz thought about how his life had changed drastically in the last few months. From the moment they’d left the base with Enoch to the moment Jemma had learned that there was another life at stake, it had seemed like they barely had time to breathe. They had worked their asses off to find a way to get back in time and into Izel’s temple in the weeks following their departure from the lighthouse, and Alya —or rather, the blood work that confirmed that she was there— had been the one to put a hold on things.  _ “We could just be,” _ Fitz had said once, hoping Jemma would understand what he meant. And she did. 

Fitz looked back at Alya, blissfully drinking still. “You know, back when you were still in your mama’s belly, she and I used to dance on a song we both love very much.” 

He remembered it as if it was yesterday. Truthfully, it wasn’t that long ago, but time before Alya had been born seemed so distant now. Fitz couldn’t quite picture his life without her in it anymore. He remembered times when Jemma’s entire body ached, and Braxton Hicks contractions made her life a living hell.

“When she was tired and in pain, I used to take her hand and drag her to the middle of the room to dance with me.” 

The first time he’d done it, Jemma had been refractory to the idea. But it hadn’t taken more than a pointed look and open arms for her to give in and cuddle close, and as he breathed in her familiar scent, Fitz had started singing. Their bodies had swayed together as he whispered the words against the shell of Jemma’s ear, unaware of anything besides each other.

_ She calls out to the man on the street _

_ "Sir, can you help me? _

_ It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep _

_ Is there somewhere you can tell me?" _

“You know, I don’t have the best singing voice,” Fitz confessed, still looking at Alya. She didn’t even stir, and he vaguely wondered if his voice was any kind of comfort to her. Deep inside, he hoped so. “but for your mama, I will do anything. And I know she loves when I sing.” It had been one of the things he’d discovered way before they even got together, actually. Jemma had been surprised to hear him sing under the shower before they even joined SHIELD, and she’d been bugging him about it for weeks afterwards. “So I did, right here and there with you between us as we danced on one of our favorite songs, and she laughed.” 

_ He walks on, doesn't look back _

_ He pretends he can't hear her _

_ Starts to whistle as he crosses the street _

_ Seems embarrassed to be there _

“Now mind you, I’m not the best singer. And Phil Collins doesn’t have a Scottish accent either.” 

_ Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for you and me in paradise _

_ Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for you _

_ You and me in paradise _

“But it truly was paradise. Because it was our first dance with you.” 

_ Think about it. _

The tip of the bottle slipped from Alya’s mouth, her shiny little lips opening around a yawn. “All done?” Fitz whispered, putting the bottle on the instrument panel in front of him. He had a fleeting thought for May, and what she’d say if she ever saw him do that. Before Alya fell back asleep though, he moved her upwards to cradle her tiny body and rub the back of her shoulders slowly. Getting up in the same movement, Fitz started pacing in the Zephyr, and Alya’s head moved a little as she let out a cry of protest. “Do you want me to sing to you, too?” 

_ She calls out to the man on the street _

_ He can see she's been crying _

_ She's got blisters on the soles of her feet _

_ She can't walk but she's trying _

The thick vowels of his accent seemed to have the desired effect on his daughter, quieting her cries almost immediately. Fitz felt like his heart was beating so fast it would jump out of his chest at any moment, emotion choking his throat. 

_ Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for you and me in paradise _

_ Oh, think twice, it's just another day for you _

_ You and me in paradise _

_ Just think about it _

The expression “holding your heart in your hands” hadn’t really made sense before Alya, Fitz realized. He’d held Jemma before, as they hugged at the Academy or in the bus, when they kissed or whenever they made love. Yet nothing compared to the feeling of his baby girl’s body against his, so tiny and fragile. She was his everything, and all those new feelings bubbling inside of him seemed to explode like a volcano. 

_ Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do? _

_ Oh Lord, there must be something you can say _

As Alya burped, Fitz felt the first treacherous tears slide down his cheeks. 

_ You can tell from the lines on her face _

_ You can see that she's been there _

_ Probably been moved on from every place _

_ 'Cause she didn't fit in there _

For the first time in two days, Fitz thought about his family, back in a time they’d left behind. In the months following the explosion of the temple, he and Jemma had often wondered if they’d made the right choice.  _ What ifs  _ hung heavy in the air, heavier each time they spared a glance at Jemma’s swelling belly. 

_ Oh, think twice, 'cause it's another day for you and me in paradise _

_ Oh, think twice, it's just another day for you _

_ You and me in paradise _

_ Just think about it _

_ Mhm _

_ Think about it _

But as selfish as it might seem, Fitz didn’t regret a single moment. If he was given the choice, he would do it all over again. Because at this moment, nothing mattered but the babe in his arms, slowly falling back asleep as he sang to her. And he knew Jemma shared the same thought. Because they would go back, and they would save their family, no matter the cost. 

_ It's just another day for you and me in paradise _

_ It's just another day for you and me in paradise (para-paradise) _

_ Paradise _

_ Ooh, just think about it _

_ Paradise _

_ Just think about it (para-paradise) _

_ Paradise _

_ Mhm, paradise _

_ Paradise _

_ Just another day _

But first, he had a daughter to raise alongside the love of his life. And he wouldn’t miss seeing her grow up for the world.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on twitter if you'd like, I have a fanfiction related account (@/phlebotinxm) or you can find me on my main, general account (@/keptinonzebridg)! xx


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